Chapter 97 - Devil's Snare
I walked to the edge of the trapdoor and carefully looked down. It was completely dark. I could not see the bottom at all.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione came beside me and also leaned over from different sides, trying to see through the darkness.
"I can't see anything," Ron said.
"Me neither," Harry agreed.
Hermione frowned. "It's too dark."
Ron scratched his head. "I think we'll have to jump."
Harry nodded. "Yes. I don't think there's any other way down."
The three of them immediately began discussing the problem and had already decided on the solution themselves.
I simply waited quietly, waiting for them to start being reckless. Knowing Harry, Ron, and Hermione, I expected them to do something reckless.
To my surprise, they did not.
Instead, after they finally finished, they all looked at me.
I folded my arms.
"So," I asked, "have you finished discussing everything?"
They nodded.
"Yes, we have to jump."
I smiled faintly.
"Good. Now, can you remember what you are?"
The three of them looked confused.
"What do you mean?"
I sighed.
"You are wizards, you idiots. Use something more than your hands and feet. Use your brains."
Still, none of them understood.
I rubbed my forehead.
"Wasted. A whole year at Hogwarts is wasted on all of you."
All three looked embarrassed and offended, specially Ron and Hermione.
I could understand Hermione's reaction as she studied harder than almost everyone else. But Ron being offended almost made me laugh.
Instead of explaining, I simply raised my wand and pointed it toward the trapdoor.
With a wave of my wand, the wooden trapdoor slowly changed. The heavy cover folded itself aside. Then, from inside the opening, a sturdy wooden ladder unfolded by itself and stretched all the way down.
The three stared with wide eyes.
I looked back at them.
"See? Now do you understand?"
Their ears turned slightly red.
All three nodded in embarrassment.
"Yes."
"Good. Next time, remember that you are witches and wizards."
Hermione covered her face for a second, "I should have thought of that."
"Yes," I replied. "You should have."
I looked at all three.
"Now cast the Lighting Charm."
"Lumos."
One after another, four wands lit up.
Soft white light filled the dark opening beneath us.
I nodded.
"I'll go first and you three will follow behind me."
"And stay in line."
They all agreed.
I carefully climbed onto the ladder.
As I climbed down, I said again without looking back.
"And don't touch Fluffy. Irritate him in any way and I won't be responsible for what happens next."
Just then, Ron's hand, which had slowly been reaching toward one of Fluffy's heads, froze in mid-air. He quickly pulled it back.
I continued climbing down. Our lights shone farther into the darkness below. Soon I could see the bottom.
Instead of stone, the floor below was covered with thick black vines twisting over one another.
They moved slightly, almost as if they were alive.
I stopped on the last rung of the ladder. The final step was about a foot above the vines.
I did not jump. Instead, I waited for the children.
Harry climbed down next.
Then Ron.
Finally Hermione.
As the four of our lights gathered together, the vines below suddenly began moving faster. They twisted and writhed uneasily. The bright light was clearly disturbing them.
I looked down at that and then back at the others.
"Does anyone know what those are?"
Harry frowned.
"They're... plants?"
Ron looked uncomfortable.
"They look disgusting."
Hermione studied them carefully, then her eyes widened in realisation.
"Are those Devil's Snare?"
I smiled.
"Very good, Hermione. At least someone remembers the lessons. Yes. It is Devil's Snare."
She nodded proudly.
The moving vines below continued twisting restlessly beneath us.
Ron looked at them.
"So...if we had jumped down...nothing would have happened, right?"
Hermione and I slowly turned toward him.
She looked completely speechless.
I looked at him with an expressionless face, thinking how dumb a person can be.
After a few seconds, Hermione answered first.
"Yes. Nothing would have happened, except that it would have wrapped around your body."
"It would have squeezed you and then slowly strangled you to death."
Ron immediately lost his smile while Harry swallowed.
Both of them stared down at the moving vines again in horror. The thought of jumping into them suddenly felt terrifying.
I nodded.
"Exactly. And then?"
I looked at Harry and Ron.
"Would either of you geniuses know how to escape from them?"
Both Harry and Ron slowly shook their heads.
"No."
I looked at Hermione.
"You tell me, how do we deal with Devil's Snare?"
She answered almost instantly.
"Light and fire."
I smiled.
"Excellent. See? You did learn something this year after all."
Then I pointed at Harry and Ron.
"But try to stay away from these two."
Hermione was puzzled.
"Why?"
"Because foolishness is infectious."
Harry looked offended.
"That's not fair."
Ron nodded.
"You're being too harsh."
I looked at them with deadpan expression, "Really now?"
Hermione covered her mouth as she laughed again.
I raised my wand once more.
"Now then."
"If Devil's Snare dislikes light..."
"We will simply give it more light."
I concentrated.
Instead of ordinary wand light, I imagined bright morning sunlight shining across an open field.
I pointed my wand downward.
"Lumos Solaris."
A brilliant golden-white light burst from my wand. It was far brighter than an ordinary Lumos. The chamber suddenly looked as bright as daylight.
The Devil's Snare reacted instantly. Every vine trembled violently. Then they began shrinking away from the light. The thick mass slowly untangled itself.
Within seconds, the vines had retreated completely into the cracks between the stones. The real stone floor beneath them became visible.
Harry stared in amazement.
"They're gone."
Ron let out a long breath.
"I definitely don't like them."
Hermione smiled proudly.
"They're fascinating."
"They're dangerous," Ron corrected.
"They are both," I concluded the debate.
I jumped down onto the stone floor first to check for any other traps.
Nothing happened.
So, I looked up and directed the children to come down.
"Come on."
Harry jumped first.
I caught him by the shoulders to steady him.
Then Ron.
Finally Hermione.
I helped each of them land safely so that they won't get hurt.
Soon all four of us stood together inside the chamber.
I looked toward the doorway leading deeper underground.
"The first challenge was Fluffy."
"The second was Devil's Snare."
I took a slow breath.
"Now, it's time for the third challenge."
We tightened our grips on our wands and walked deeper into the underground chambers.
---
End of Chapter 97 - Devil's Snare